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‘Land for Life Initiative Sierra Leone’ Launched

By Foday Moriba Conteh

During the 1stAnnual General Assembly of Land for Life Initiative Sierra Leone held on Thursday 15th December, 2022 at Dohas Hotel Complex in Bo City, Southern Sierra Leone, the newly appointed Commissioner General of the National Lands Commission Sierra Leone, Sheikh Swabu Sowa, officially launched the, Land for Life Initiative Sierra Leone, a platform of four Civil Society Organisations organised to promote a people-centred land governance in Sierra Leone.

In his address, while launching the organization, the Commissioner General of the National Lands Commission Sierra Leone, Sheikh Swabu Sowa commended Land for Life Initiative Sierra Leone for the tremendous work they have been doing towards land governance issues in the country.

He maintained that there are numerous challenges within the land sector in the country of which he said that in order to address those challenges all players working on land reforms in the country need to join hands together. He stated that the National Lands Commission Sierra Leone has been established in order to implement the new land laws in the country.

He said with Land for Life Initiative Sierra Leone ,a platform of four Civil Society Organisations organised to promote a people-centred land governance in Sierra Leone launched, as an organization, he is of the strong conviction that land governance issues in the country will be addressed.

He concluded by officially launching Land for Life Initiative Sierra Leone and further assured them of the Lands Commission’s support towards actualizing their mandate as an organization.

Earlier, the National Convener of Land for Life Sierra Leone, Abu A. Brima, gave an overview of the organization of which he said the organization was founded by a multi country team of civil society organizations in Ethiopia, Liberia, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone, with funding support from the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through a German NGO called Welthungerhilfe (WHH).

He added that Land for Life Initiative started in Sierra Leone in 2019 with selected organisations working on land governance issues in the country and that these organizations include Forum for Human Rights and Development (FoHRD), Network Movement for Justice and Development (NDJD), Partner Initiative for Conflict Transformation (PICOT) and United for the Protection of Human Rights (UPHR).

Abu A. Brima revealed that over the years, they were engaged in the facilitation of multi-actor partnership process in the operational districts, promoting the rights of women and other vulnerable groups, mediating land related conflicts in communities, especially between communities and private sector investors.

He revealed that the initiative aims at contributing to the formulation and implementation of policies and laws on land governance, agricultural investments and mining that are consistent with international standards with particular emphasis on the human right to adequate food through responsible agricultural investments in the country.

On his part, the Deputy Mayor of Bo City Council, David J.N Smart, expressed gratitude for the testimonies given by women from different districts on how the organization has empowered them over the years.

He said that land is very important but said people have been too complacent with traditional leaders and laws on land issues in the country, adding that land ownership is a human rights issue and refusing women to own lands means that they have been denied of their fundamental human right.

The Deputy Mayor said that for far too long so many people in the past have suffered from injustices related to land issues in the country especially women, but said he is with the strong conviction that with the testimonies from women about the work of Land for Life Sierra Leone, the sufferings people undergo, especially women, will become a thing of the past.

The International Program Coordinator of Land for Life, Anna Schreiber applauded the initiative for the launching of Land for Life Sierra Leone as an independent organization. She said that land is very important and without land it will be too difficult to attain food security.

She further described the launch of the organization as a very timely intervention towards addressing land governance issues in the country and went further to say that for a country to discuss food security they need to take cognizance of land rights.

Anna Schreiber commended the Government of Sierra Leone for the enactment of land laws in the country, but said without the implementation of those laws it makes no value of which she used the opportunity to call for the implementation of the land laws in the country.

The National Coordinator, Land for Life Initiative Sierra Leone, Berns Komba Lebbie , said that for the next five years the organisation has identified its strategic goals and priorities which are effective land governance for national food security and poverty reduction, adding that the strategy has three strategic priority areas which include enacted land laws are implemented, institutional strengthening and right to food.

He disclosed that as an organisation they want to play a significant role in the popularization of the new land laws, to continue with the promotion of multi-stakeholder decision making process on land, the advancement of community rights, the promotion of peace in investment communities and later to coordinate community actions in the national food security drive, furthering that those plans are already enshrined in their five-year strategy plan.

Giving a testimony, one of the beneficiaries, Kadiatu Tholley from Port Loko District, expressed appreciation to Land for Life Initiative Sierra Leone for their interventions over the years which she said has supported women greatly in the aspect of accessing land rights.

She said that prior to the implementation of the project community stakeholders were bulling women on land issues but said with the implementation of the project she and other women have been empowered on land governance issues in the country.

Other dignities present at the ceremony, including the Country Director of Welthungerhilfe (WHH), the National Chairman Family Farming Platform, sponsors etc delivered very informative and relevant statements.

 

NP-SL Receives 15,000 Metric Tonnes of Petrol

National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL-Ltd)

By Amin Kef-Ranger

The long queues at Filling Stations in a bid to procure petroleum products, in this case diesel and petrol, will soon become a thing of the past as this medium was reliably informed that the ship carrying 15 thousand metric tonnes of petrol berthed in Freetown on Saturday 17th December, 2022 brought in by NP-Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd). It will be discharged and distributed nationwide for onward sale to the public.

It could be recalled that this medium had earlier, to be precise on the 12th December, 2022, intimated that an NP vessel has arrived in the country with over 18 thousand metric tons of diesel (AGO), and now another ship, as mentioned above, with petrol of 15 thousand metric tonnes of petrol berthed on the 17th December, 2022.

It must be noted  NP (SL-Ltd) is tirelessly working round the clock, engaging oil producing companies in business discussions, to always ensure that supply is continually flowing in or maintained. This pro-activeness, on the part of the company, has made it quite possible for stocks to last over periods of time in order to avert the occurrence of shortages.

Interestingly, NP-SL is not a Government entity or appendage; no politician has a share in it as its shareholders are mere ordinary Sierra Leoneans, starting with 35 of them who some time ago bought shares from the Government out of their end of service benefits to establish what today has become a towering entity (NP-SL) to reckon with in the business landscape.

As had been fallaciously propagated by certain ill-motivated persons, who do not mean well for this country, that there are certain politicians that have vested interests in the company, our investigations have proven otherwise.

NP-SL is a 100% indigenous company to the letter and it has weathered various storms that could have dwarfed it or left it to extinct save therapeutic intermittent Managerial injections that keep it upright and on the right course.

Demonstrating its true Sierra Leonean identity the company has maintained a policy of strictly adhering to the Local Content Policy ensuring that it has a maximum indigenous staff in its employ. What this actually means is empowering our brothers and sisters to access employment opportunities and reduce poverty.

Business Management experts have made it abundantly clear that the way and manner in which customers are cared for in terms of talking to them, making them feel at ease go a long way in attracting them. Such should be done sincerely in order to make them more important. NP-SL for a very long period now has mastered that art and executing it so well which definitely is paying dividends.

1st for Customer Care was earned by the company because it has been widely acclaimed by many for solidly executing such.

For those who have not tried NP Gas for the first time it is now time to give it a try. Designed in sizable varying cylinders and sold at various NP Filling Stations, this cooking device has been rated as one of the best that is on offer for sale. NP Gas is safe, user friendly and portable. Trying it will spur you to recommend it to others.

NP Smart Card is now in vogue and is one of the latest technological devices used to purchase petroleum products. Using it has attendant advantages as evident in procuring fuel at any time of the day even during times when monies could not be accessed from banks. It is secured, easy to use and very quick. It is now trending.

NP-SL remains a true partner in development and is highly committed in optimizing customer care to the fullest.

APC Calls for an Overhaul of the Entire Electoral Process & Cancellation of PR System

 By Foday Moriba Conteh

During a Press Conference held at the Head Office of the All People’s Congress (APC) Party on Railway Line in Freetown, on the 16th December, 2022, the Secretary of the Interim Transition Governance Committee, Abdul Kargbo, read out a Press Statement on behalf of the Party.

It was stated that the public would recall that the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), conducted what it called a ‘Voter Verification/Registration’ for the 2023 multi- tier elections.

According to the APC, the registration exercise, which was conducted from the 3rd September to 4th October 2022, (extended by two days) was meant for citizens who had already registered and voted in previous elections to confirm their biometrics, review their personal information, and make corrections or inclusions where necessary adding how at the same time, it was also to register those who had not been registered previously.

The Party continued that from the  24th to 28th November 2022, the ECSL also purportedly conducted a 5- day Exhibition/Verification exercise of the Provisional List of Voters.

The APC, through its agents deployed across the country, it was stated ,observed those processes in the field and believe that both the Voter Verification/Registration and the subsequent Exhibition/Verification exercises were exceedingly problematic.

“In our opinion, both exercises faced self-induced challenges and were deliberately designed and employed to create an unlevel playing field to disenfranchise a certain section of the electorate at the expense of our party,” it was underscored adding that with regards to the Voter Verification/Registration, it has become evident the data for thousands of citizens who had registered in previous election cycle was either incomplete, incorrect or missing from the register.

Mentioned was that in many of those instances, citizens were not allowed to do the necessary corrections or create a fresh registration but instead, citizens were inappropriately referred to the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) whose mandate does not include voter registration.

The Party said, in respect of ‘First Time Voters’, the ECSL violated its own rules and constitutional provisions on the eligibility/identification criteria for such.

Referencing Part IV of Public Elections Section 24, the APC said it stipulates that citizens are eligible to register either with (a) a birth certificate or a naturalization certificate; (b) a statutory declaration giving particulars of his birth; (c) the testimony of a member of the local Council in the area of his residence; (d) National Identification Number; or (e) any other satisfactory evidence of his entitlement to be registered as voter.

The APC claimed that those provisions were ignored, and in addition, where the ECSL did not allow first time voters to register, they failed to issue rejection forms to these citizens.

It further that additionally, the Exhibition/Verification exercise purportedly concluded on Monday 28th November, exposed what appears to be an electoral strategy to skew the outcome of the June 2023 polls.

“Once again, thousands of people who reported to the designated Exhibition/Verification centres found out that the ECSL retained incomplete and incorrect data,” it was stated adding that thousands of photos were absent along with names, addresses and other details being inaccurate.

The APC said in those cases, correction to inclusion forms were not issued out to affected persons as mandated by law revealing how

ECSL deleted by district, 607 registrants determined to be underage.

It was also mentioned that ECSL also deleted, without reference to districts, two hundred and fifty thousand, one hundred and twenty-three (257,123) registrants (approximately 7% of total registrants), who they stated were duplicate voters.

According to the APC, an ECSL Press Release dated 30th November 2022 stated: “The Commission acknowledges concerns from registered voters relating to the omission of some names from the Provisional List of Voters, photo-less registration details and incomplete data in some centres….The ECSL is closely working with the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) to resolve this issue.”

The APC said the lack of transparency, openness, inclusiveness, of ECSL in its operations has considerably tarnished the integrity of both the voter registration processes and has compromised the Provisional List of Voters.

Moreover, it stated that the numerous challenges the public encountered during the Registration and Verification exercises and the ECSL’s unresponsiveness to stakeholders’ concerns and the failure to address those has substantially undermined public trust in the entire electoral process.

“We believe that these setbacks could result in significant voter apathy,” the APC lamented.

The APC, it was mentioned in the Press Statement, is justifiably concerned that such public mistrust engendered by ECSL and their inability and failure to conduct free, peaceful, smooth and credible Voter Registration and Verification processes represent a slur on, and shameful reversal of the nation’s hard-won democracy.

It added that the performance of ECSL and their persistent disregard for the Law so far holds the potential for very chaotic elections which is a serious threat to the peace and security of the country.

The main opposition party bemoaned that unfortunately, all concerns raised and reported by the APC to the Elections Management Bodies (EMBs) and ECSL regarding the same, have not yielded results.

It said in view of ECSL’s current performance and posture, the APC is constrained to state that ECSL as currently constituted, staffed and manned, lacks the competence and trust to conduct free, peaceful and credible elections.

The statement stated that, therefore, for the attention of the Government of Sierra Leone, EMBs, Civil Society, the public, the Development Partners and the Diplomatic and Consular Corp, the Economic Community of West African States, and the African Union, as required by law the APC hereby demands the immediate disclosure of the disaggregated Voter Registration Data ( Provisional List of Voters, the disaggregated Voter Registration Data (Provisional List of Voters and an Independent Audit of the Voter Registration Process.

Also stated was that it will be recalled that Proportional Representation, is a product of its time and a fall-back position: when there are no constituencies or wards for the purposes of public elections in the country.

It mentioned that such was the rationale and the prevailing circumstances that warranted and justified the amendment introduced in 2001 as now contained in Section 38A of the Constitution.

The APC maintained how the country had then just come through a brutal and destabilizing rebel war foisted on the country which resulted in the destabilization of communities nationwide, apart from the loss of human lives and destruction of property.

It continued that an immediate effect of such a situation was the absence of settled communities and constituencies hence, the justification for the introduction of the Proportional Representation System.

The Statement concluded by claiming that it was then seen as a contingency provision and not intended to be a regular format for public or general elections for Parliament.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

African Spelling Bee Federation Hosts 5th African Spelling Bee Competition

In a statement dated 16th December, 2022 it was revealed that the African Spelling Bee Federation has successfully hosted its 5th African Spelling Bee Championship in Blantyre, Malawi between the 6th and 11th December 2022.

It was further mentioned how every year, the African Spelling Bee Federation calls on National Spelling Bee Champions from various African countries to compete for the ultimate African Spelling Bee Championship.

Also revealed was that founded in 2016 by 10 spelling organizations from Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe, the competition has grown to include representatives from 21 African countries, impacting over 10 million learners across the continent.

Said to be hosted at the prestigious Golden Peacock Hotel in Blantyre, Malawi, the event expanded beyond a classic one-word per speller bee to include a fun African General Knowledge Quiz and a Speed Spelling competition to determine the top Team Prize.

According to the African Spelling Bee Federation, the series of literacy competitions inspired the learners to challenge their knowledge of the beautiful African continent deepening their roots of the Pan-African spirit.

“The African Spelling Bee is more than a spelling competition,” said Aaron Kirunda, outgoing Chairperson of the Federation’s Executive Committee.

“Our dream is that these children and young people will build deep and lasting relationships, built on excellence, mutual respect and integrity with the hope that in years to come, when they are the leaders of our countries’ businesses and institutions, they will together build a better Africa,” added Kirunda.

The Chairperson also praised the excellent organizing of the event by the Malawi Spelling Bee and their Director Lewis Mbaula stating that “The hosting of the event by the Malawi Spelling Bee was first class and Mbaula and his team need to be commended for their efforts in pulling off such a historic event. We truly felt like we were in the Warm Heart of Africa.”

He added, “Despite the incredible challenges spelling bee organisations faced over the last few years due to COVID-19, which resulted in the 2020 and 2021 events being postponed ,the  5th African Spelling Bee was an overwhelming success.”

Also included in the statement was that the tangible excitement among the participants was incredibly palpable that it was impossible to only support one team adding that watching the learners form friendships and share ideas gave life to the dream of seeing a united and progressive African future.

According to the statement, in the end, the results were as follows:

In the Team Competition the winning countries were:

1st place     Nigeria
2nd place    Uganda
3rd place     South Africa

Also mentioned was that the one-word per speller competition took place, in a Grande Finale, in Junior and Senior Categories and the winners are as follows:

Junior Category

1st Place     Elozino Daphne Etuele          (Nigeria)

2nd place    Caleb Mathala    (Malawi)

3rd place     Kobina Edu Ampah Mensah (Ghana)

Senior Category the top positions were:

1st place     Widad Mohammed (Sudan)

2nd place    Joseph Turibamwe (Uganda)

3rd place     Opeoluwa Ebibechuchwu Bukola (Nigeria)

The statement additionally disclosed that the African Quiz competition was won by a mixed Team named after Table Mountain.

It continued that after the event, the participants were all taken to the iconic Lake Malawi for an enjoyable visit.

At the end of the competition it was announced that the 6th African Spelling Bee in 2023, will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

It must be noted that the African Spelling Bee was founded in 2016 by 10 Spelling Bee organisations from Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe and they had the very first African Spelling Bee in the same year in Johannesburg, South Africa, bringing together 27 National Champions from each of the countries to participate.

Also, that the African Spelling Bee was started with a vision of celebrating the African Child, inspiring them to be literate and creating a platform for them to connect and build their confidence.

 

 

 

MMTU Inducts Over 3,000 Students

Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU)

By Abubakarr Harding

The Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU) on Saturday 17th December 2022 inducted over 3,000 students for the 2002/2003 academic at which ceremony the Vice Chancellor and Principal of MMTU, Dr. Philip John Kanu, asserted that the day is very important for the students, acclaimed them for coming to the University when people are fighting to bring it down, that he is not corrupt and would fight for the welfare of students revealing that lecturers do not have the right to sleep with students.

The well-attended event took place at the Peace and Love Amphitheatre, Goderich campus in Freetown.

Dr. Kanu continued that he would do all within his power to protect students, that MMTU is the citadel of learning where people are taught the rudiments of responsibility assuring that they have very good lecturers and also commended the Deans and other lecturers for screening and admitting the students, that the future is in the hands of lecturers as they would have to train students but observed that they cannot give all to students.

The Vice Chancellor and Principal also warned students to respect even cleaners and gardeners as well as lecturers who are their parents, go through the institution properly to stand the test of time reminding all that the institution has zero tolerance on cultism, underscored that they must take their education seriously by attending classes regularly, reading, doing their assignments on time and encouraged them to pursue higher courses up to PhD level.

The Vice Principal and Director of Studies of MMTU, Dr. Mohamed Jalloh congratulated and welcomed those matriculating to the nascent university especially taking into consideration the rigid admission process this year, informed that the institution would be 60 years old next year and underscored that the ideals of the MMTU have remained the same over the years.

He continued that the ceremony is important for all universities the world over affirming the significance of the oath taking and allegiance to the institution as full fledge members of the academic community having fulfilled the necessary requirements to enjoy the full rights and privileges of the MMTU.

He further informed that some of their rights among others include to be accommodated in the hostels when available, use of the library, vote and be voted for in Students’ Union elections as well as represent the university but warned them to maintain law and order, pay their fees, protect college property, respect authority and colleagues, keep the campus clean, avoid cultism, sexual misconduct, examination malpractices and other vices.

Dr. Mohamed Jalloh also wished that the students would complete their courses on time.

The oath taking was performed by the Dean of Social Sciences, Ishmael Kebbay who cautioned the students to maintain values, rules and regulations as they read aloud in unison, “I promise to render due obedience to all in authority as they concern me. So help me God.”

The formal pronouncement of the students as members of the institution was performed by the registrar,  Sheriffu Bangura who stated that by the power vested in him by the MMTU Court, they were now bona fide students of the University adding that the ceremony is the first step to them acquiring more knowledge and applauded their parents and sponsors for their support.

Elizabeth Taylor-Morgan, the Dean of Education in her statement of felicitation reiterated that the day is very important after their orientation, that they have started a great journey, that others did not make it, that they should count themselves lucky and make maximum use of their time, study hard and avoid all sorts of malpractices.

Highlights of the event were the symbolic signing of the register presided over by the Deputy Registrar, Melisa Wray, singing of the University Song, the procession of academic and administrative staff and the vote of thanks by a student.

 

 

 

 

President Bio Discusses Energy Transition Programmes & Partnership with Rockefeller

By Abubakarr Harding

President Bio met with Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, a private American philanthropic funding organization, on the 14th December,2022    to continue discussions around possibilities of sustainable energy market in Sierra Leone.

The meeting, which took place on the margins of the US-Africa Leaders Summit, came after the Government of Sierra Leone and the Rockefeller Foundation, through the Global Energy Alliance For People and Planet,(GEAPP) signed an MOU in May 2022 to collaborate around increasing access to electricity and accelerating the energy transition in the West African nation.

Prior to that mission and the meeting on Wednesday, the Foundation had also undertaken several missions in the country to assess the energy challenges and meet with key players so that constructive and realistic energy strategies could be developed for the country.

President Bio also underscored the need to focus on agriculture while making a case for energy intervention to be prioritized to support agriculture, noting that these sectors would be catalytic for industrialization with a focus on rural communities.

“The Government and GEAPP should collectively come up with projects that will ensure effective development. Based on this mission, a Sierra Leone National Energy Transition Programme geared towards the Rockefeller Foundation (GEAPP) was developed.

“The vision of this Programme is within the next 7 to 10 years, this alliance should lead to new or improved electricity access for at least 1 million people through driving increased investments in Grid-connected renewables, distributed renewable energy (DRE) and corresponding investments in productive uses of electricity, particularly in the rural areas,” he said.

President Bio also emphasized that the goal was to produce 300MW in new regeneration and 600 mini-grids, which would help to reduce carbon emission by 1.2 million tons of GHG annually and create about 1.3 million new jobs enabled by renewable sources.

“Another focus area is to power up rural communities. This will include the reduction of mini-grid tariffs to less than US$0.30 to improve affordability, power agriculture, provide agricultural and enterprise equipment and support small businesses.

“Key Projects: Supporting Betmai – 27MW hydro project to reach financial close; supporting a tariff buy-down pilot project; assisting 7,000 women located in 20 mini-grid sites to start or expand over 300 businesses enabled by renewable energy with support from CARE,” he concluded.

 

 

 

 

Choithram Hospital Concludes Free Orthopaedic & Cardiology Screening & Treatment

By Foday Moriba Conteh

As part of their efforts towards addressing some of the medical challenges and to provide qualitative medical treatment for people from all walks of life in the country of which from time to time the hospital has been bringing specialized medical personnel from Germany and India to render professional medical services to people of Sierra Leone Choithram Memorial Hospital has on Saturday 17th December, 2022 concluded a 2 days Free Orthopaedic and Cardiology examination and treatment at the hospital premises on Hill Station in Freetown.

Speaking to pressmen at the Choithram Memorial Hospital in Freetown, the Medical Superintendent at Choithram Memorial Hospital Dr. Gowrinath George said that during the two days (16th-17th September, 2022) Free Orthopaedic and Cardiology examination and treatment ,Two Hundred and Eighty (280) patients benefited, including 190 Orthopaedic and 90 Cardiology patients from various parts of the country.

He noted that the hospital has been bringing specialized medical personnel from Germany and India to render professional medical services to people of Sierra Leone with the aim of alleviating the financial burden on people travelling out of the country to access such facilities or treatments at very high costs.

Dr. Gowrinath George maintained that during those moments, the visiting doctors that administer treatment did not only share ideas on how to treat such medical complications but also built the capacity of staff at the hospital.

He informed pressmen that renowned doctors and specialists in the persons of Dr. Akshay Kumar Saxena, Senior Consultant Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement from Max Smart Super Specialty Hospital, Saket New Delhi (India) and Dr. Manjeet, the attending Consultant Cardiologist from Max Super Specialty Hospital, Saket New Delhi (India) and their counterparts in Sierra Leone examined and suggested treatment for all Orthopaedic and Cardiology patients during the period.

The Medical Superintendent pointed out that with the intermittent coming of these doctors from Max Super Specialty Hospital, which is one of the leading healthcare networks in North India, the expertise of those doctors is now closer to Sierra Leoneans even during challenging times of pandemics as they understand that not all Sierra Leoneans can afford to pay for medical treatment overseas which is why  Choithram Memorial Hospital is facilitating such free expert consultations on Orthopaedic and Cardiology related issues in the country.

One of the renowned doctors from India, Dr. Akshay Kumar Saxena, commended Choithram Memorial Hospital for providing the Orthopaedic and Cardiology diagnosis and treatment for Sierra Leoneans.

He said that for the past days they have been working with the Sierra Leoneans counterparts and fortunately he said they have had a fantastic working relationship between them.

Dr. Akshay Kumar Saxena maintained that during the Free Orthopaedic and Cardiology screening and treatment they were able to see quite a well number of patients, adding that during their screening they reached a consensus  on what could be done in order to have an Orthopaedic department in the country.

According to some of the beneficiaries at the hospital, they noted that they learnt from a local newspaper of the free treatment calling on interested people to book appointments at Choithram Memorial Hospital on or before the 15th December, 2022 which they did.

They also revealed that they were accorded proper reception, interview before medical checkups and either scanned before treatments at no cost.

They expressed appreciation to the Choithram Memorial Hospital for providing the free Orthopaedic and Cardiology examination and treatment which they described as very important to them.

“Since I came this morning, the reception has been very amazing I was asked to wait for some time after which I was seen by the doctor. He examined me and prescribed some test for me which I did here and some medicines for me which I have also collected at the pharmacy here in for free,” one of the beneficiaries expressed delight and satisfaction.

 

 

Exclusive Interview with President Bio in Washington

By Amin Kef Sesay, Washington DC

In an exclusive interview conducted by three Sierra Leonean journalists, Amadu Lamrana Bah, Amin Kef Sesay and Mohamed Fofanah, who travelled to the US to cover the US-Africa Leaders Summit, with President Julius Maada Bio in Washington DC on the 16th December, 2022, the President started by saying that the US-Africa Leaders Summit is very important to attend because the whole of African leaders are in the US for the important engagement and as such Sierra Leone must be part of it.

He continued that although sometimes people in Sierra Leone say he travels a lot, however, they must understand that it is because where there are other leaders he is supposed to be there to represent the country.

“As good as it is, you have to put up the inconveniences just to make sure that Sierra Leone is part of the world,” he stated adding that US-Africa Leaders Summit was meant for them at the Heads of State level to discuss pertinent issues of cooperation and partnership between Africa and the United States adding that so far the meetings he were very productive.

President Bio intimated that the United States has recognized that they were drifting apart adding that they, African countries and the US, were great partners in the past, but that faded away which he stressed is not good for their relationship and for development on both sides of the Atlantic.

“We need to reset and that is what I think we have done. We’ve had very productive discussions around that and how we can use this new relationship for the matual benefit of our countries, the United States and the rest of African countries and so I think we have a lot of reasons to be optimistic,” the President stated adding that it was done in a very good atmosphere of frankness. He maintained that African leaders were given the opportunity to say what they think about the state of the relationship with the United States and how they can better that relationship to benefit the people.

Asked what was the underlying message he tried to put across while addressing the African and Diaspora Young Leaders Forum, during the US-Africa Leaders Summit and why it is good to invest in young people, President Bio stated that his Government will continue to make efforts to improve conditions of young people maintaining that they want them to be part of what they are doing and that is why they brought in a lot of young people in governance positions.

“They are the future and I am not going to be here forever as a Head of State. I will have to go at a certain point in time and would expect more competent young men and women to have reached that maturity to come here and do better than what we are doing,” he underscored adding how he will not have a legacy if he does not have competent young men or women to take up governance positions and take his place.

“So we have to prepare for that and talking about having access to affordable and reasonable financing we’ve have found it a little bit difficult. We have to work with the private sector to make sure that our young people who want to venture into doing business.  have access because you can have the most brilliant ideas but if you don’t have the money for start up, it will only be a dream forever,” he said adding that is why the Government is encouraging the private sector to give them the space maintaining that as a Government they cannot be able to employ all of them which is why they should be able to embark on businesses and other enterprises which will limit the unemployment rate in the country.

President Bio informed that there are so many reasons why they really need to empower the youth adding that it’s not easy to start a business or undertake a project because of lack of finance and they have to provide ways so that they can afford it.

He said young people are always very scary and they do not want to take risks but because they are also educating them they can now venture to take risks.

President Bio pointed out that the country needs a lot of young people to be able to move the economy.

“So I was speaking on behalf of them, encouraging them, that we as a Government will open access to a number of things for them to be able to embark on entrepreneurship,” he said .

Reacting to what his Government intends to do with the 15 Billion Dollars that President Biden announced as new deals and trade for African countries, he said normally, when such are made known, it is left with the country now to go and create its own structures, programmes and projects that they could tap into that.

He said they would encourage American businesses to extend to Sierra Leone businesses maintaining that already there are some of them here already.

The President said they have to ensure that the conducive business environment exists to encourage American businesses to go to Sierra Leone and set up businesses maintaining that there is a clear indication that the United States is willing and ready to reset the relationship between the two countries.

He revealed that there is an entity that wants to establish a Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment and Management Center in Sierra Leone , which according to him is a huge investment and indeed good to have such a center in West Africa as we send most of our people out to Ghana, Senegal and other countries saying discussions are going on in that direction.

“We want to be able also to use such a facility to provide the medical services we require in country,” he said which could be one of the deliverables for the people of Sierra Leone.

On him meeting the American businessman, Rockefeller, the President said he has a company that is interested in supporting green energy transitions and that they are looking at helping Sierra Leone reduce the tariff on mini grids in the regions adding that they are working in that direction.

“These are all the many meetings that I’m talking about. After maybe a few hours, we will sit down as a group before we get back to Sierra Leone here to recap and debrief on all of these meetings and what to identify,” he said saying that is the takeaways from this and how we are going to use those opportunities using various agencies of Government.

On democracy and good governance he said he is committed as a democrat to lead his people through the best form of governance.

He said it was him who not only brought back democracy but also granted certain freedoms such the Repeal of the Seditious Criminal and Libel Law, the abolition of the Death Penalty maintaining that the many things they are doing is geared towards opening up the space so that should those interviewing him, if they decide tomorrow to contest against him, they will have the space.

Asked what he makes of the Americans facilitating  Africa to have a  permanent seat in the UN Security Council and if that will make his campaign for attaining that easier, the President said with the intervention of the United States that is  also one the biggest takeaways.

“We’ve been campaigning on the continent of Africa. That is a common African position many leaders have pushed for but under my leadership, the United States has committed itself to that reform,” the President said underscoring how such is historical.

“And we are now going to work the mechanics of making sure that Africa is represented so that the historical injustice that we have been talking about is taken care of and that is also a take away from this United States,” he said.

He said we already got the money from the MCC and it is now ours only that there are processes that must be fulfilled.

President Bio called on developed countries to think of debt reliefs mentioning that revenues generated to cater for the social needs of the citizenry are large spent on other development priorities.

The President ended by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

President Bio commits to free, fair elections in meeting with President Biden at the White House

President Biden at the White House

By AmaduLamrana Bah in Washington

The White House has in a read-out statement said President Bio and five other leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to hold free, fair, and transparent elections conducted by competent, independent, and impartial national electoral bodies, as enshrined in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance.

The elections in Africa in 2023 will be consequential and while the United States does not support any specific candidate or party, they are committed to supporting electoral processes to deepen democracy in Africa, according to the statement.

President Joseph Biden yesterday, December 14th, 2022 at the White House before the State Dinner met with President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, President George MannehWeah of Liberia, President AndryNirinaRajoelina of Madagascar, and President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, to discuss their countries’ upcoming elections in 2023 at this critical time for democracy globally.

President Biden reflected on the recent midterm elections, noting that the strength and resilience of American democracy were reaffirmed in the process, and he reinforced the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to working collectively to renew and defend democracy at home and abroad.

“Although elections themselves do not equal democracy, President Biden underscored that holding elections is fundamental to a functioning democracy,” the statement said.

Together, the leaders discussed the challenges of holding elections and exercising the right to vote, including foreign interference and political violence, and shared best practices on how to manage these risks and ensure transparency and public confidence in the electoral process.

“Participants reaffirmed their commitment to holding free, fair, and transparent elections,” the statement noted.

Meanwhile, the White House has also announced that working with Congress, the United States plans to provide over $165 million to support elections and good governance in Africa in 2023.

“The United States has provided nearly $50 million in support of civil society and the electoral commissions in Nigeria and the DRC,” the statement ended.

It is not yet clear how much Sierra Leone will receive as support for its upcoming elections in June 2023 but so far civil society organizations and the media have expressed concern that elections-related support has been slow and most uncertain.

“By this time in 2018, we had the Standing Together for Democracy Consortium with significant support to implement a lot of activities around the elections. But this time round this is not the case,” said Ahmed SahidNasralla, President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ).

#USAfricaLeadershipSummit22

 

Legal Link Celebrates 4 Years of ImpactfulAdvocacy

By Foday Moriba Conteh

One of the Civil Society Organizations that have been making meaningful contributions to nation building, LEGAL LINK, successfully celebrated its 4th anniversary on the 13th December 2022 and also gave an update about its 4th annual report in defence of the rights of religious communities and vulnerable groups in Sierra Leone.
The 10th of December every year marks the official anniversary of LEGAL LINK. Exceptionally this year, the organization commemorated its 4th anniversary this year on the 13th December 2022 because the 10th fell on a Saturday.

Just four years since its inception, the organization has become a household name in Sierra Leone receiving accolades and recognitions both locally and internationally for its revolutionary and impactful programmes.

During the celebration of its 4th anniversary which was attended by interns, lawyers, law students, civil society organisations and representatives from the religious communities and vulnerable groups, the Executive Director of LEGAL LINK, Rashid Dumbuya Esq, thanked God for making LEGAL LINK to see its 4th anniversary and to also celebrate it in grand style and with outstanding achievements and laurels to show for it.

He further explained in summary the myriad of activities undertaken by LEGAL LINK in 2022 as well as the great successes achieved.

In his brief explanation, the Executive Director of LEGAL LINK, Lawyer Rashid Dumbuya was able to inform the plenary about the interventions made by the organization to vulnerable groups such as disables, mental health patients, old people, orphans, abused women and children, labourers and human rights defenders amongst others.

In giving their remarks, the Executive Director of C4D, Marcus Bangura and the Executive Director of Citizens Advocacy Network (CAN), Thomas Moore Conteh Esq dilated on LEGAL LINK’s interventions on democracy, rule of law, justice and good governance issues in 2022.

According to them, LEGAL LINK stands out as one of the most credible civil society organizations in Sierra Leone that has continued to live up to the expectations of its mandate.

Several representatives from the religious communities, media, law students and vulnerable groups that witnessed the programme also expressed their thanks and appreciation for the good work LEGAL LINK has been doing over the past four years especially in defending their rights and given their lives true meaning and significance. They however appealed for LEGAL LINK to continue to build on this success in the coming years so that a culture of respect for human rights in Sierra Leone will be garnered and sustained.

The Executive Director assured the said representatives of LEGAL LINK’s continued support in 2022 and in the years to come.

Statements were also made by some of the legal interns of LEGAL LINK, expressing their gratitude to the Executive Director of the organization for the knowledge and mentorship impacted on them. They further thanked all those that supported LEGAL LINK over the years and appealed to the donor community to support the organization in 2022 so that it can do more to defend the rights of religious communities and vulnerable groups in Sierra Leone.

The programme ended up in a joyful party celebration in honour of LEGAL LINK’s fourth anniversary.

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